1874General Election: Conservatives regain power

Disraeli's Conservatives won the majority of seats in Parliament, the popular vote figure being misleading as many of the Conservative victories were uncontested. The Home Rule League of Irish Nationalists becamse a significant force in Parliament, probably benefiting from the introduction of the secret ballot after an Act in 1872. The secret ballot meant that landlords and employers could no longer tell tenants and employees how to vote.